Supreme Court permits limited Diwali fireworks in Delhi-NCR
The Supreme Court on Friday granted conditional permission for the sale and use of firecrackers across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) for a five-day period during Diwali. The decision marks the first time in several years that residents of the Capital may be able to celebrate the festival with legal fireworks, though the move has raised concerns among environmental experts about potential lapses in enforcement.
A bench of the top court clarified that this relaxation would apply only on a trial basis, restricted to the five main days of Diwali. “For now, the permission is being granted for the festive period, but usage will be strictly regulated within specified hours,” the bench remarked during the hearing.
Representing the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta outlined an enforcement framework aimed at curbing misuse. According to the plan, sales will be limited to authorised retailers, and online platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart will not be allowed to list firecrackers for sale within Delhi-NCR. The government maintained that traditional or banned crackers will continue to be prohibited, even as it urged the court to extend similar relaxations to other festivities, including New Year’s Eve, Gurpurab, weddings, and private events.
During the session, Mehta appealed for leniency in the permitted time slots, arguing that festival celebrations should not be excessively curtailed. “Children wait all year for Diwali. It’s only a matter of a few days; they should be allowed to celebrate with enthusiasm,” he stated.
However, environmental specialists have expressed serious reservations about the impact of the decision. They recalled the 2018–2020 phase when “green crackers” were allowed, yet no measurable improvement in air quality was observed. Experts warn that in real-world conditions, it remains challenging to distinguish eco-friendly variants from conventional ones. They further highlighted that elderly citizens and children are particularly vulnerable to pollution-related illnesses.
While meteorological factors such as stagnant winds and stubble burning in Punjab and neighbouring states already contribute heavily to smog levels during this period, the temporary spike caused by fireworks—even the so-called green versions, which emit roughly a third less particulate matter—continues to worsen the air quality each year.